able to do anything, and he did not know what sort of sickness was on him. "I won't be taking your money from you any more," says he to the woman of the house, "because I can do nothing in this case, and as I don't understand what's on him, I won't let on[1] to be understanding it. I'll come to see him from time to time, but I'll take no money from you."
The woman of the house could hardly keep in her anger. Scarcely ever was the doctor gone till she gathered the people of the house round her and they took counsel. "That doctor braduch," says she, "he's not worth a traneen; do you know what he said—that he wouldn't take any money from me any more, and he said himself he knew nothing about anything; suf on him, the behoonuch, he'll cross this threshold no more; we'll go to the other doctor; if he's farther from us, itself, I don't mind that, we must get him." Everybody in the house was on one word with her, and they sent for the other doctor; but when he came he had no better knowledge than the first one had, only that he had knowledge enough to take their money. He came often to see the sick man, and every time he would come he would have every name longer than another to give his sickness; names he did not understand himself, nor no one else, but he had them to frighten the people.
They remained that way for two months, without anyone knowing what was on the poor man; and when that doctor was doing him no good they got another doctor, and then another doctor, until there was not a doctor in the county, at last, that they had not got, and they
- ↑ To "let on" is universally used in Connacht, and most parts of Ireland for to "pretend." It is a translation of the Irish idiom.
